


The Second Family

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: fiftysomething [9]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-20 01:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2410358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Were you accosted by a group of randy twentysomething college girls?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Second Family

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the **politics** prompt. It’s in the **fiftysomething**  universe.

Emily slipped her pumps off at the front door not caring that they could send one of her children or her husband flying the next morning. Her leather messenger bag, weighed down with tests and essays, went beside it. Sighing, she pulled off her knee-length wool coat, throwing it over the arm of the couch. Downstairs was dark except for the small lamp they always kept on in the living room. The kitchen light was also on. Throwing her tiny purse over her shoulder, she followed it like a moth to a flame.

 

As soon as she saw her husband, Emily smiled. He was putzing around at the counter dressed in pajama pants, a FBI sweatshirt and socked feet. The radio was on low but she could hear The Human League singing _Human_. She just watched him for a few minutes. She watched him lip-synch the song, his head moving to the music.

 

“Hey there, Secret Agent Man.”

 

“I was starting to worry about you.” Hotch turned around and matched her smile.

 

“You knew I was going to be late. I would have been home sooner but Jordan called so I met her for a drink,” Emily held up two fingers. “Two drinks.”

 

“I left you several texts but you didn’t respond. I called Margie over at your office and she told me you were alright. If not I would have sent out the cavalry.”

 

“You did?” Emily came further into the room, taking her Blackberry off her hip. “I'm not seeing anything. Hmm…I hope you didn’t accidentally send sexy texts to Morgan.”

 

“He usually just sends them back and says ‘ _not now babe, I'm at work_ ’.”

 

Emily laughed; walking into Hotch’s waiting arms. He kissed her forehead, her nose, and then her mouth. She leaned into the kissed and sighed. Why did it feel like forever since she had been in his arms when it had just been this morning? Well, she did have a very long day. It was after ten and Emily Hotchner didn’t work those kinds of days anymore. She wanted to be home with her family and her man.

 

“What are you doing down here?”

 

“I knew you would be tired so I came down to make you some tea and a corn muffin.”

 

“You are the world’s sweetest man; I am so lucky.”

 

“Ditto, baby.”

 

The high-pitched whistle of the kettle interrupted their kiss. Hotch took it off the fire.

 

“How’s Dil?”

 

That was probably the real reason Emily was exhausted. She hardly slept last night up with Dylan, who had flu like symptoms. He was throwing up and had a temperature. They kept him home from school; his mother wanted to stay home with him but could not. She had three classes to teach and a late afternoon and evening filled with meetings. At least Nat was there, Emily called at least four times to check on him over the course of the day.

 

“Sound asleep. He managed to keep down the soup and dry toast I gave him for dinner. He still has a temperature though. I made sure he was drinking the Gatorade…don’t want him to get dehydrated. Go and check on him, I know you're dying to.”

 

“I wanted to stay with him today.”

 

“I know you did.” Hotch looked at her as he grabbed the margarine and grape jam from the refrigerator. “Having to work does not make you a bad mother Emily.”

 

“I don’t have to work Hotch, I choose to.”

 

“Your children look up to you.”

 

“But I don’t hold them when they're sick.”

 

“So quit.”

 

“Hotch!”

 

“Was that the wrong thing to say?” he asked.

 

“Yeah.” She nodded.

 

“Go and check on Dylan. I will bring your snack upstairs. I love you.”

 

“Love you too.”

 

Emily went up the back stairs, walked past Jack’s closed door first. She knocked and poked her head in.

 

“Hey kiddo, just wanted to check on you.”

 

“You worked late tonight, mom.” Jack paused his video game, bounding off the bed. He kissed her cheek.

 

“Tell me about it. How was your day?”

 

“The usual.”

 

“Enjoy it while you can.”

 

“I’ll do that.” he smiled and looked just like his father, dimples and all. “You OK?”

 

“Mmm,” Emily nodded. “Just doing the once around before falling face first into the nearest pillow. Is all of your homework done?”

 

“Yes ma'am.”

 

“Alright, I will leave you to your game. Goodnight.”

 

“Night mom, love you.”

 

“Love you too.”

 

Bree’s room was next and Emily was surprised to find light coming from under the door. Her bedtime was ten o’clock. It was possible if she knew her father was distracted that she would squeeze in more time. Emily knocked and opened the door.

 

“I'm going, dad,” Bree said, from inside her closet. “I'm just putting this stuff away.”

 

“Not dad.”

 

“Hey mom,” she popped out of the closet and into her mother’s arms.

 

Emily sighed and held tight to her. She loved all of her children and never played favorites, ever. Still there was something about Sabrina…she was her first baby. Sometimes when she looked at her Emily could remember the night she told Hotch she was the pregnant. The night he said that if he asked her to marry him she could not say no. Sabrina taught Emily almost everything she knew.

 

“How was your day?”

 

“Good. I think Kobe Benjamin is going to ask me out. You think daddy is going to freak?”

 

“Yes…yes, I do. But its bedtime. We can talk tomorrow; I won't be late again.”

 

“I understand sometimes you have to work.” Bree climbed under her powder pink comforter. In so many ways, she was like her mother at that age, typical and enigmatic all in the same bite.

 

“Yeah, sometimes, but not too much. Sleep tight, sweetie; I love you.”

 

“Love you too, mom.”

 

Alexandra was already asleep so Emily just crept in and kissed her cheek. She looked at her for a moment, wondering what glorious fifth grade gossip she missed tonight. In Dylan’s room, she covered her son up and smiled at him still clutching Kung Fu Monkey, the stuffed animal he had had since he was a toddler. He probably would not be happy to know she had seen it. Emily felt his forehead; he was still warm. She would check his temperature in the morning and hoped he slept through the night.

 

When she got to her bedroom, Hotch was waiting for her. He brought the music, now Whitney Houston, and that handsome smile of his. Emily closed the door and began to undress.

 

“All children present and accounted for.” She said, pulling her sweater over her head.

 

Hotch just watched as each layer of clothing came off. She was still so beautiful, so alluring. It wasn’t as if he ever contemplating straying, nothing of the sort ever entered his mind. But every morning he woke up and wondered how he and Emily would surprise each other that day. Sometimes they didn’t, life kept them quite busy. 

 

Still when he lay his head down on the pillow at night Hotch knew he was a lucky man. It was always an adventure. There were stutter steps and the occasional bad spills but they always got up. She joined him in bed dressed in her pajamas. Hotch handed her half of the corn muffin.

 

“How is Jordan?” he asked.

 

“Good. We spent time reminiscing and showing off pictures of our kids. We laughed a lot about you.”

 

“I'm sure. Work was OK?”

 

“Well, Michael Hampton is going out for eight weeks to have knee replacement surgery and recover. They want me to act as his replacement.”

 

“What? They want you to run the Academy?”

 

“For eight weeks.”

 

“They want you to run the Academy.” Hotch repeated.

 

“I don’t want to run the Academy.” Emily sipped her tea.

 

“Did you decline?”

 

“No, it’s a temporary post and Michael has been a friend for a long time. The last thing I want is for him worrying about how things are going when he needs to focus on getting better. I accepted the offer. The semester is almost over so really it will just be a glorified title. I can't wait for Thanksgiving…I need to rejuvenate.”

 

“It doesn’t seem like just a week ago we were in a bed and breakfast making love, does it?”

 

“That seems like a century ago. At least tomorrow is a short day. I am coming home and getting reacquainted with my bathtub.”

 

“All alone?” Hotch asked.

 

“Mmm, maybe. Maybe not.” she kissed him. “How was your day?”

 

“Boring without proper interruption from my naughty wife.” Hotch leaned back on his pillows; put the empty plate on the nightstand.

 

“I thought about you.”

 

“I guess that will have to console me. It does you know.”

 

“And you had dinner with Senator Tierney?” Emily finished her tea and lay in his arms. Hotch exhaled.

 

“Yeah. Something very strange happened to me tonight.”

 

“What? Were you accosted by a group of randy twentysomething college girls?”

 

“I said strange woman, not implausible.”

 

Emily laughed, lifting his tee shirt and stroking his stomach. Her lips gently sucked his neck. Hotch sighed, rubbing circles on her back.

 

“Tell me what happened.” she whispered.

 

“Do you know the significance of the Naval Observatory?”

 

“Is that a trick question?”

 

“No, baby.”

 

“Um, its one of the oldest observatories in the United States. A federal law in 1842 established it as the National Observatory. Its one of the only observatories located in an urban center, you know.”

 

“I did know that…I didn’t know the other stuff. I sometimes forget I am married to a geek.”

 

“You're not funny, Hotch.”

 

“Yes I am.” He laughed. “Anything else about the Observatory spring to mind?”

 

“One Observatory Circle is the official residence of the Vice-President of the United States.”

 

“Ding ding ding.”

 

“What?” Emily sat up and looked at him. Hotch pulled her back into his arms.

 

“Kyle Tierney is the most likely Republican candidate for President in two years. Anything can happen of course and being a politician for the past two decades, he is accounting for that. Still, he has dreams of the White House.”

 

“So do lots of guys, and women too. What does that have to do with…what does it have to do with anything?”

 

“If he makes it, if he is the nominee, he wants me to be his running mate.”

 

“What?” now Emily sat up. “Are you for real?”

 

“That’s what he says.”

 

“Vice-President?”

 

“Yeah. I mean, it’s a long way off. Someone could come and snatch it all away.” Hotch said.

 

“He’s big time Hotch; no one is taking it from him. Well, except a Democrat. No one is taking the nomination. How…?”

 

“Politics; someone had to tell him my name. We don’t even walk in the same circles. His people probably talked to some people who…you know how this thing goes.”

 

“And he didn’t say short list? Are you sure?”

 

“I'm sure. He says I have the integrity, experience, and a family ready made for a greeting card.”

 

“That could be an insult.” Emily replied.

 

“That’s what I thought too.”

 

“Do you want to do this?”

 

“Do _you_ want to do this?”

 

“I don't know. I don’t want to think about it right now.” Emily shook her head. “It’s a lot to take in and it’s already been a long day.”

 

“I'm sorry Em; I shouldn’t have brought it up. I just…”

 

“No,” she caressed his face. “Its huge, honey, and I'm glad you told me. I will just push it to the back of my mind along with the grocery list and grading those papers downstairs. I do, however,” Emily rolled over on her back, pulling Hotch with her. He was smiling and she knew that smile. It was the ‘hell yeah’ smile. “Have something on my mind.”

 

“Animal,” he kissed her lips. “Vegetable or mineral?”

 

“All animal.”

 

“Mmm,” he pulled her thighs apart, pressing his stomach on hers and liking the way she moaned. “I will growl like the king of the jungle if you want me to.”

 

She laughed, fingers running through his silver hair.

 

“I love you, you know that?”

 

“You will always be my first lady, Mrs. Hotchner.”

 

“You are so sweet and corny. Don’t ever change.”

 

***

                                                                                                                    


End file.
